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Finding the Perfect Neighborhood for You

It's not easy to choose the perfect neighborhood for you or your family. Let's face it, your neighborhood is just as important as your house. If you are not happy with your neighborhood it will eventually lead to you not being satisfied with your home. Do your research to determine what a neighborhood has to offer you. The greatest areas for families with children is not always the best place for a single person or empty nesters. This article will explain the things that you should be looking at in a neighborhood during the buying process.

How to Find the Perfect Neighborhood for You

Nick Slocum, SRS, ABR, ePRO, RENE, CIC

Nick Slocum is a third generation real estate broker and Assistant Vice President at The Slocum Agency, a real estate brokerage and insurance agency i...

Nick Slocum is a third generation real estate broker and Assistant Vice President at The Slocum Agency, a real estate brokerage and insurance agency i...

Oct 306 minutes read

Location

Location is everything. Imagine living in an amazing area, but you work over 50 miles away. This will not leave you with much time to enjoy everything that your neighborhood has to offer considering you will be spending most of your time commuting to work. Even though there may be a great neighborhood available 50 miles away from work, that does not mean you need to consider that home unless you are able to work from home. Commuting can be overwhelming and will create a dissatisfaction to the home you purchased.

Location plays a huge factor when it comes to the community and it's amenities. If you live in a rural area, you will most likely not find any gyms, retail stores, or things to do. However, if you enjoy the seclusiveness of a rural area, this may work for you. Drive around the surrounding area to see everything that is in proximity.

Schools

If you have kids in your home then schools may be the most important factor to your neighborhood. Some people are looking for a school nearby for their kids to walk to school and some are seeking schools for children with special needs. The best advice we could give is to decide on the schools you enjoy first, then begin looking for the neighborhoods around the school.

There are many online resources such as www.greatschools.org where you can look up the schools in your area and their rating. Once you have decided on a school that you believe will be best for your family, visit the school.

Your Neighbors

Asking the locals in an area is a great way to see if you would enjoy it there. Locals will know the area best and can make you aware of the perks and issues. Most people love chatting about their neighborhood and where they live. By asking questions, you can find if most people in the area are renters or homeowners. Areas that have a majority or renters can be very different from areas with actual homeowners who have been living in the same location for quite some time. Renters have a higher chance of leaving and may not care as much about the look of their home versus someone who owns their home and may take pride in how their property looks. This plays a huge role in our next point, property values.

Property Values

The value of a property plays a huge role on choosing a neighborhood. If your desired neighborhood has high value homes this means higher taxes for your local government to provide services in the area. If a home has a declining property value it can directly impact the value of the entire neighborhood. An area that once was a great looking place to live can slowly turn into a run down location in need of some tender, love, and care.

Property Taxes

Taxes will vary by neighborhoods, so you should definitely consider them when buying a home. Like we stated above with property values, areas that are appreciating in value are also going to have larger taxes. Many cities have specific times of the year where they reassess home values to ensure the local government is getting the proper amount of tax revenue to provide the city with services. This is why it is not always wise to purchase a home at the top of your price range if you are buying in a neighborhood with increasing values because the taxes you pay will go up in cost as well. Purchasing at the top of your budget can make the excitement of purchasing a home become a nightmare when all your other expenses roll in.

This is why it is important to make sure you consider all the expenses that come with owning a home. We can always help you with any questions you have, so do not be scared to give us a call.

Safety

While some consider safety to be the most important factor in a neighborhood, not everyone can afford to live communities with 24 hour security, nor does everyone want to live in a community like that. However, you can look at the local police departments and crime reports to see what mischief goes on in a specific area. You can even use online resources like crime maps to get an idea of the crime rate in certain areas.

Bottom Line

The neighborhood that you live in can have a greater impact on your satisfaction than the home itself. The right house in the wrong area will leave you unhappy in the long-run. Research online, speak with locals, and drive around the surrounding area to determine the if the neighborhood is right for you or your family.